‘Political games, or government prerogative’? A May 19, 2025 Times of India headline aptly summed up the controversy generated by the arbitrary manner in which the Centre selected representatives of various political parties as part of the multi-party global diplomatic outreach on war against terror with specific focus on Pakistan’s role in abetting terrorism in India.

Not even a naïve could have missed the strong element of politics added by the NDA government in its pick and choose policy on the formation of delegations. The prime target seemed to be the Congress and the aim, ostensibly, looked to be to fan the factional feuds in the Grand Old Party (GOP). Otherwise, how would one describe the suo motu decision, without consulting the Congress’s top leadership, to include the names of high-profile but controversial Mr Shashi Tharoor, Mr Manish Tiwari and couple of others and rejecting the name proposed by the party.

Apart from Congress, also on the Radar of the Narendra Modi government was Ms Mamta Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. After all West Bengal is a political hot-bed for the BJP where it has not been able to defeat her party. However, in her case, the Centre quickly took to a course correction and withdrew the name of Mr Yusuf Pathan, MP, selected by the government, and included the name of Ms Banerjee’s nephew on her recommendation.

That did not happen in the case of Congress. All protestations by the AICC leadership were overlooked leaving them with little choice but accept the fait- accompli. Or else, run the danger of facing outrage by the BJP’s troll army.

One very strange and not entirely surprising move was the inclusion of once towering Congress personality turned rebel, Mr Ghulam Nabi........

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